Stripped
by EJ Santry
Summary: Entry for the Tattward & Inkella Contest. When the A/C goes out in the computer lab during Summer Quarter, things begin to heat up as the students begin to strip to get comfortable. What lies underneath might cause them to combust. AH. BxE.


**Tattward & Inkella One-Shot Contest**

**Title: Stripped**

**Your pen name: EJ Santry**

**Characters: Edward & Bella**

**Disclaimer: Characters are Stephenie Meyer's. I just got them nerdy and nekked.**

**To see other entries in the Tattward & Inkella Contest, please visit the C2 page:** www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Tattward_and_Inkella_Contest/71624/

I walked out of my room wearing a long skirt and deep, navy blue tank top, and headed toward the kitchen to grab a snack and my coffee. I had decided to take some classes summer quarter, because everyone said the professors were more laid back. I found that they were absolutely right, and chose to knock out some of my general education classes, one of which was math. I hated math. I was an English major, why did I need this much math? I was dreading taking the class, until my roommate Alice suggested that I take the computerized version. Alice was a design major, and she said that having it all represented visually allowed her to get it for the first time. She also said the teaching staff was super laid back, you worked in groups, and it was a fun environment. So, I had signed up for Calculus I.

Classes started on a Wednesday, as always. I headed out early to my first class to enjoy the slightly cooler air of the morning, before the oppressive heat of the afternoon rolled in. I decided to take four classes this summer, because I had recently split from my latest victim to my serial monogamy, Mike, so I suddenly had a lot of free time to kill. Mike was like every other guy I had gone out with since starting college, nice and predictable. I was getting bored with my pattern, so I decided to ignore the opposite sex for the summer and focus on my degree. Three of my classes were Monday and Wednesday only, and my math class was everyday. I made it through my first two classes with a smile on my face. They were Sociology, History, and a Poetry class. I had to slip one major class in there. All three of them were mostly based on papers, and that was perfect in my eyes, because that is what I did best.

I swung through the student union, and grabbed some Chinese food for lunch. I sat relishing the air conditioning, as I casually ate my orange chicken while reading through the syllabi from my first three classes in more detail. I started programming in test dates and assignment schedules into my iPhone, while humming along to the music playing through my earbuds in between bites. I was so lost in what I was doing, I almost didn't realize that I only had ten minutes to get to my math class! I gathered my stuff up quickly, threw away my trash, and rushed out the door.

The class itself was in the computer lab in the basement of the Math Tower. I hurried down the steps, and poked my head into the room. The professor smiled at me from the front of the class wearing a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. I found a seat in the forth row next to two guys who gave me a pleasant smile, as I took my seat. The professor, Lee, and the TA, Liz, were so cool, and the casual environment fit me to a tee. Parts of our assignments were going to be done in groups of three, and the other part was individual work. I sighed in relief to know I would be working with some people who might actually be able to help me part of the time.

"Excuse me," the brown haired boy to my left said tentatively.

"Bella," I pointed to myself.

"Hi, Bella," he smiled. "I'm Ben, and this is Eric. We were wondering if you might want to be the third member of our group."

"Do either of you happen to be a math major?" I asked.

"No," they said together laughing slightly at my question.

"We are both engineering majors," Eric said.

"Close enough," I said. "In the spirit of full disclosure, I am an English major and a math retard. Do you still want me?"

They both laughed, and told me they did, if I was this funny all of the time. We laughed together then. The class spent most of the first day getting to know the software we would be using, and going over some tutorials. Ben had used the program before, and was very patient walking me through each stepped. I even let out an audible 'ooo' when he showed me how to graph a function. Alice was right. This was perfect for me.

The only problem with the class was that, because it was in a computer lab, and it was summer, they kept the air conditioning cranked to keep all the machines cool. So, despite it being the middle of June, it was freezing in there. I became conscious of the fact my body, and my nipples more specifically, was letting the whole room know I was cold. Note to self, to bring a sweater, and possibly mittens to class.

Before class was over, the professor and TA swung by to introduce themselves in person. They also introduced the lab monitor who sat at the front of the class, who was always there to answer any computer questions. Also, they pointed out a few other people milling about the front of the room who were professors and TAs from other "C" classes, as they referred to themselves. They noted that this was a true collaborative environment, so never hesitate to ask any one of them questions. I looked up at them memorizing their faces for future reference, when my eyes settled on one of the TAs.

Hello, Clark Kent fantasy comes to life. He was tall and skinny, and wore dark rimmed glasses that didn't diminish the light green eyes that lay behind them. His hair was a light brown that almost looked bronze when it caught the light, and had that mad scientist kind of dishevelment that worked on him. God, he was hot. He was wearing an un-buttoned long sleeved plaid shirt over a t-shirt that read 'There's no place like '. Ben noticed me looking curiously at the shirt.

"Do you know what the means?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"No," I said looking at him.

"In IPs that signifies 'home'," he smiled at me as I got it, and my face broke out in a huge smile as I turned back up to the front. It just so happened, that he turned at looked at me at that moment, saw my smile, and broke out into one of his own while his eyes gave me a slightly curious look. I lowered my eyes to his chest, and then back up to his face, and mouthed 'nice'. He looked down at his chest, probably forgetting what he was wearing, and back up at me and winked.

I tried to ignore the fact that the wink made my clit twitch as I turned back to my group and tried to concentrate on what they were explaining to me.

Soon, class was over, but the professor told us, in the future, we are welcome to stay in the lab to work on our assignments, even if another class is in session, as long as there was room after the people in the class found their seats. I said good-bye to Eric and Ben, and decided to spend a little more time going over the tutorials, so I wouldn't hold Eric and Ben back when it was time to get started on our first assignment. I logged myself out of the computer I was using, picked up my notebook, and went and stood against the wall as the next class filed in.

The class was slightly smaller than mine, so they only took up about half of the computers. Since no one claimed the one I was working at before, I returned to it, and logged myself back in. I noticed that a short, slightly balding blonde guy in a polo shirt and my sexy geek were standing in the front now. The class started, and I tried to make it less than obvious that I was trying to catch hotness' name. The professor was Tony, and he was Edward. Edward. No nickname. Just Edward. It fit him. The rest of their class went much like my own. This was a higher-level class, so most of the students were familiar with the software, so class broke up, and most of them hung out and socialized.

I continued working through the tutorials and taking notes, but soon I was shivering so badly I could hardly write. Suddenly, I felt something warm slide over my shoulders, I quickly looked over to see a familiar plaid shirt being draped over my shoulders by a pair of long, pale fingers. My breath caught at the beauty of their slender grace that ran on for days before ending at a well-manicured nail. I was suddenly embarrassed by my own chewed off excuses for nails. His just longer than the fingertip nails I was now staring at could find sensitive areas on my back that I never knew existed. Those long fingers could probably wrap almost the entire circumference of my waist while pounding…

"It gets kind of cold in here in the summer," a voice said behind me.

_Huh_? Oh, yes. There is a person attached to those sexy digits. I looked up into the face of Edward, himself.

"I'm Edward, by the way."

I slid my arms into the shirt and sighed a bit at the warmth of it. I could detect the faint hint of cologne or aftershave that sent a shot straight to my ovaries.

"Bella," I said pointing to myself, "and thank-you for this. How did you know I was cold?"

He leaned forward and I watched as he slowly wrapped those long fingers around the edge of the table. He looked around the room, and then turned resting his chin on his bicep, and locking gazes with me. My eyes stroked his stubble-covered jaw, and I licked my own lips as they fell upon his. He spoke in a hushed voice.

"Bella, every man in this room has been well aware of how cold you are for the last hour." His gaze slowly lowered down to my chest, more specifically to my nipples, which were trying to rip free of my tank top, and came back up with a mischievous glint in them.

"Oh, really" I said leaning back and pushing his shirt wide so my nipples were locked on the guy like they were a missle guidance system. "Well, thanks for keeping things rated PG in the math lab. I'll remember to bring my parka, next time."

"Hmmm…" he said with his brow furrowing and rubbing his chin back and forth across his arm.

"What?" I asked confused by his scowl.

"I rather prefer you in my shirt," he winked, and walked away.

I stared stupidly for several minutes, and then pulled the shirt closed tight around me, breathing in his scent. Shaking my head, I tried to clear the gypsy spell this hot math geek had cast over me, and get back to work. I couldn't concentrate any longer though. Just when I would get going on something, and I leaned forward to take notes, I would catch a fresh whiff of whatever man scent lingered on his shirt. I would close my eyes and inhale again, and slowly open them to find his gaze casually seeking out mine.

By the end of the hour, I decided that it was time to pack up and hit the bookstore on the way home. I logged out once again and started gathering my things. Edward saw that I was getting ready to leave, and made his way over to me. I kept my eyes on Edward's, as I let his shirt slide from my arms, and I swear I saw his eyes roll back in his head a bit.

"Thank you again for letting me borrow your shirt," I said holding it out to him.

"Anytime," he said. I bent down then to pick my bag up off the floor, and I heard Edward take in a deep intake of breath. I snapped up with my bag, and turned to him.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Is that a petal peeking out at me?" He asked in a voice of masked calm.

"It is," I smirked. "An iris petal, at that."

I was very fond of the iris tattoo I had done on my back two years ago. It had always been my favorite flower. Irises had a curving grace that fascinated me.

"Just a petal?"

"Maybe someday you can find out how low it goes," I smiled coyly, and this time it was my turn to wink as I walked away. "See ya, Dorothy"

When I got home that evening, Alice and I had our first day of class celebratory tacos and margaritas.

"So, how did you like the 'C' class?" Alice asked.

"It was just as you promised," I answered after I cleared the bite of taco from my mouth. "But you could have warned me how fucking cold it was in there! I nearly poked out my partners' eyes with my nipples."

"Well, that is one way to make friends," Alice joked.

"Actually, my group mates are very nice, Ben and Eric. They are both engineering majors."

"That is perfect!" Alice cheered. "They can help you with the math, and aren't as socially retarded as pure science majors. Who is your prof and TA?"

"Lee and Liz," I said.

"I love Lee!!" Alice squealed. "He is so funny. Liz can be a bit of a bitch, and doesn't spend much time in the classroom. Definitely use the other profs and TAs that hang around."

I coughed a little when she said that, and of course she noticed. She just grinned and pointed to my cheeks, and I rolled my eyes.

"There was a geek hot TA for the class after mine. Edward," I sighed, and then I mumbled. "He might have given me his shirt to wear after noticing my temperature gages poking through my shirt."

"Bella!" Alice yelled. "Deets, woman!"

I went on to describe him, and about his shirt and his fuckhot smell. She sat raptly as I told her about his flirting, and my flirting back after he noticed my tattoo.

"I told that thing would embolden you!" She cried smacking me on the shoulder.

I shrugged off her comments, and I went on to ask her about her classes, hoping to change the subject, so I didn't fixate any further on the sexy man who was starting to invade my every thought. As Alice went on and on about the projects she has to do this quarter, and what she will need her live doll, me, for, I casually tipped my head towards my shoulder, and breathed in. I could still smell him on my skin.

The weeks of the quarter passed by at a casual rate that is indicative of all things in the summer. As July reared its head, the heat was becoming absolutely oppressive. Each day, I would dress for the sweltering heat and my walk to class, but tucked in my backpack was my jacket, socks, and tennis shoes. Today, as I left my house for classes, it was already 87 degrees, and it wasn't even nine in the morning. I put on my short dark brown shorts and an army green tank top layered over a darker green tank. I found layering helped with my nipple problem. I yanked my hair up into a sloppy ponytail high on my head, slid on my flip-flops, and headed out the door.

My other three classes were going great, and I was scoring As on everything I was turning in. I was especially enjoying my poetry class, and found that, as of late, my poetry all had an erotic undertone. There was no denying the cause. Since that first day, Edward and I had chatted and flirted in the times we were both in the computer lab. We had slowly begun to trade touches. From him placing his hands on my shoulder when coming over to say hi, to the afternoon, he pulled me back into his chest, his hands subtly stroking my sides while the class before mine filed out and up the stairs. Being touched by this man felt so natural, and I relaxed into his body.

"You better go sit down, Bella, before you miss class," he whispered in my ear under the din of the crowd, and then tilted sideways and gave me a knowing look. A sinister grin crawled onto my face, but he playfully shoved me towards my seat.

Edward was so different from other men I had met. One day last week, he had walked over when I was there during his class hour, and helped me work through a problem I was having. He was patient and explained things in a way that I got, and for once, I found myself doing well at math! If his kindness alone hadn't warmed him a little more to me, when he kicked his feet up on the chair next to me, the first glimpse of the tattoo on his left calf did.

The sight of it instantly had me twitching. I loved my ink, but a man with ink was my undoing. And here, this confident, sexy geek was sporting ink. Kill me now.

"What do we have here?" I asked nodding to his leg.

"Where?" He asked looking down.

"This," I said lightly running my finger around the outer edge of the red-orange circle of his tattoo. His breath hitched a bit as I stared into his eyes. He coughed to clear his throat before answering.

"That would be the logo from Serenity," he said. "From Joss Whedon's show, 'Firefly'."

"I am familiar with Malcom Reynolds and his crew," I said grinning at his shocked expression. I practically had Alice threatening to burn my DVDs if I made her watch them one more time. Seeing the Serenity logo on this fine ass man was taking every ounce of will power to keep it in my pants, so to speak. "You math nerds do not have the market cornered on sci-fi."

"I just might have to force you to bear my children right here and now after that comment," he said with a forced laugh. He got up then, and not subtly enough for me not to notice, adjusted himself as he walked away.

I smiled thinking back to the affect I was having on him, because he was definitely having an affect on me. He was the muse to my poetry and the star of my dreams at night. I shook my head. I did not need to be thinking about this. The heat was already stirring me up as it was, I didn't need the images from last night of Edward's sweaty body pounding into me as I rubbed my bare leg on that tattoo on his calf in my mind.

I walked into the computer lab fanning myself, and made my way to the fourth row of computers where my group and I sat. I pulled out my jacket, socks and shoes, and tossed my sandals into my bag. I yanked my tube socks up to my knees, and slid on my red chucks. Once I zipped up my jacket, I smiled at my fellow Eskimos, and we got to work finishing up this week's group work. It was Friday, so we were just looking it over once more before we turned it in. My group had worked out so well, because they helped me understand the math, and I helped in writing out our responses. It didn't hurt that they were both very nice and funny, and I was really enjoying math now!

"I hope it rains, like it is supposed to," Eric muttered as we got to work. "Maybe it will cool off a degree or two."

"Then it will just be humid afterwards, and my hair will be the size of Mount Rushmore," I complained, and they laughed.

After a half an hour, we decided it was as good as it gets, and emailed it off to our professor. I still had to finish up my individual stuff, and it wasn't due until midnight, so I waved good-bye, as my group mates left, and hunkered down to finish my stuff. It was around then that Edward walked in. He went to the front, and talked to Lee and the lab monitor for a minute, before taking a seat at one of the computers in the front. He was directly in my line of sight from where I was sitting, and I could see that he looked to be grading stuff from his class. He was wearing another one of his plaid button downs today, but it was not over the usual t-shirt, and was buttoned up for once. His khaki shorts brushed the tops of his knees as he sat slouched into his chair reading and then typing notes and comments into the assignments he was grading.

Just as I was turning my attention back to my own assignment, I heard a pop, and we all froze, as the room with suddenly silent. The lab monitor picked up his phone and made a call. After some discussion, he hung up the phone.

"Hey everyone, that pop was the A/C unit in the building. It has gone out. They are sending over someone to fix it as soon as they can, but it may be a while. I have some fans in the back closet here, but if the room gets too hot, I will have to shut down the machines, and close the lab." Everyone groaned, as he got up, and pulled out four floor fans, and set them up around the room.

It didn't take long on such a short day, and with so many computers running for the room to start to heat up. People began shedding their usual jackets, and went back to work. Twenty minutes later, I could feel the sweat on my neck, and reached into my bag for my sandals, and took off my tube socks and Chucks. I used the top of one of my socks to wipe off the back of my neck, just as I caught sight of Edward standing up and unbuttoning his shirt.

I froze. He was looking down working his way from top to bottom unleashing each clear button from its hold. Once he had it undone, he pulled it off and tossed it on the chair next to him revealing a plain white wife-beater underneath. I gaped at the build of his chest, and the long strong arms that flowed from his shoulders. I could see the slight glimmer of sweat that had formed in the chest hair that stuck out from the dip in the top of his shirt. I realized that I was licking my lips, when he turned around and I saw it. Black ones and zeros running from the top of his right shoulder, and disappearing under the fabric of his shirt. Holy fuck! He has some sort of binary tattoo on his back!

I groaned and my head fell forward and hit my desktop, and I could feel the pool of moisture pool between my legs. I was suddenly very thankful I wore my dark shorts, because _everyone_ would have seen how wet he made me if I wasn't. Just then, from up the stairs, I heard the unmistakable sound of thunder. Great. The rain. I reached down then to verify that my umbrella was in my bag, and found it missing. Alice! That little sneak. She was always losing her umbrella, and constantly stealing mine! Hopefully the rain would pass before we had to leave.

A half an hour later, just as I was putting the final touches on my assignment, and submitting it, the hall monitor told us it had gotten too hot in the lab, and we had to shut everything down. Everyone grumbled, but they were all understanding, and didn't give the guy a hard time. I picked up my things, and paused by one of the fans on my way out, letting it blow coolly on my moist skin. I closed my eyes and sighed, as I felt someone standing next to me. I peeked out of one eye, and saw Edward standing there staring down at me with nothing less than pure lust and want in his eyes. I returned the look with the same intensity.

"Let's get out of here," he said, as he put his hand on the small of my back, and led me out of the room. We walked up the stairs and paused at the big glass door to see the rain coming down in sheets.

"Where do you live?" Edward asked.

"I live in an apartment over on 12th," I answered pointing east of us. "You?"

"Norwich," he nodded to the north of us. "I'm closer. Come on."

He took my hand then, and led me out into the rain. We were running between awnings, until we got to the light at the main street on campus, and had to wait. We were both absolutely drenched. I looked at him through the downpour and started laughing. He followed suit. When the light turned green, he continued to hold my hand, as we now walked casually towards his house, since we couldn't get any wetter. Other than the rare other person trying to escape the rain, we seemed to suddenly have campus to ourselves. Edward kept stealing glances at me as we passed between the red-bricked buildings of the business school. We were slightly sheltered by their tall sides, but before we could emerge on the other side, I found myself whipped around, and my back pressed into the cool brick.

"Bella," he said through a husky voice, "I can't wait to do this any longer."

Suddenly, his mouth came crashing down onto mine. We both dropped our bags, and I gripped his strong jaw in my hands, as his snaked around my waist. His lips were soft, but his kiss was powerful. At once, both of us reached our tongues out for one another, desperate to be closer. We both moaned at the soft feeling of warm flesh stroking warm flesh. At that moment, I wanted to be consumed by this man and feel every inch of him. I broke the kiss.

"Edward," I panted as those magical fingers of his were stroking the wet skin of my thighs. "Take me home with you. I want you so much."

"God, Bella, I've wanted you since that first day I saw you."

He reached down, quickly swung both our bags onto his shoulder, grabbed my hand, and we increased our pace to almost a run heading in the direction of his house. He was pulling his keys from his pocket, and we approached the three-story house, that had decking around two sides of it. He made quick work of the lock, and led me into the foyer, where he dropped our bags to the ground by the door.

I was just looking up the open stairwell, when I squealed as Edward scooped me up into his arms, and ran up the stairs to the top floor. He walked to the bedroom at the end of the hallway, and kicked the door shut behind him. Putting me on the ground, he hit the lock on the door, before pressing me into it, and picking up on the kiss where we left it. My hands shot out pushing his wet shirt from his body, and he broke the kiss to pull it off, and toss it to the floor. He reached out and peeled one tank, and then another from my body and groaned to see I was braless underneath.

"Turn for me, Bella," he said then, and I obliged. "Fuck. I've been wanting to see this since the first day of class."

He traced the drooping iris petals that draped over my shoulder blade, and then followed the long green stem as it curved down around my side. He then dragged his fingernail the length of the leaf back until he found its tip near my right breast.

"It's almost as beautiful as you are, Bella," he whispered and kissed my shoulder. I turned slowly, and he wrapped his arms around me tenderly, pulling me into him for a much slower and sensual kiss. His tongue glided about mine as his fingers continued their gentle caress of my back.

"My turn," I whispered onto his lips.

I walked around him then, dragging my nails across his abs as I walked. I stood behind him then, and glided my fingers down the numbers that ran from his shoulder to the small of his back.

"I know this is binary, but what numbers are these?" I asked as I started to trace the ones and zeros in front of me.

"My birthday," he answered with a small laugh. I hummed in acknowledgement.

I walked forward then, pressing my exposed breasts into his back, and reaching around to lay my palms flat on his pecs, as I began to kiss the numbers that I could reach with long, suckling kisses. He moaned, and reached behind himself, as I continued my kissing, and slid his palms over my ass pulling me closer to him.

Edward turned in my arms, pulling off his glasses, and setting them on the dresser behind me. He kept his eyes locked on mine as he unbuttoned and unzipped my shorts pushing them and my panties to the floor. I stepped out of them feeling emboldened by his look of pure want. I reached out and removed his pants and boxers with the same deliberate yet arduous pace in which he removed mine. He sprung forth in front of me, and a fresh river of desire poured from me.

Edward stepped toward me then and gathered my face in his hands. He looked down at my lips as he ran his thumb along them until I pulled it into my mouth sucking and nipping at the soft flesh there. The hand that was not in my mouth slid around to cup my neck. His eyes bore into me like I hoped his dick would do soon. He pulled his thumb from my mouth, and kept my eyes locked on his when I suddenly felt his fingers slide down the folds of my wet sex. By now my clit was throbbing and begging for release.

"I am going to stare into these beautiful eyes as you come the first time," he said as I felt two fingers dive into me. I gasped, and my eyes rolled back, as he began to pump into me while the thumb that I sucked began to stroke my aching center. "Look at me, Bella."

I opened my eyes, and kept focused on this beautiful man in front of me doing wickedly splendid things to my body. The tension of my pleasure began to build, and he must have realized it, because he leaned forward then and whispered in my ear.

"The second time you come, I will be admiring this beautiful tattoo as I fuck you from behind," he leaned back then and held me at the nape of my neck as my body exploded in pleasure, and looked deep into the eyes of the man who was giving it to me.

Once my body had ridden out my orgasm, he led me over to a chair in the corner of his room. It was a very worn brown leather chair, with a brown velvet cushion as the seat. It had large rounded arms, and I high flat topped back.

"Climb up, and kneel on the arms, facing the back," he commanded, and I willingly followed. Once I was up and kneeling, he pressed his body into mine, and guided me forward until my forearms were resting flat on the back of the chair.

"Perfect," he whispered, and I suddenly felt the cool air sweep across my back as he crossed the room, and opened the drawer of his bedside table, returning with a foil packet being ripped open in his teeth.

I was practically panting as I watched him slide the condom onto his rock hard dick. He leaned forward and pulled me into a toe-clinching kiss, before trailing his kissed down my neck and along the length of my iris. He dragged his nose over the curve of my ass, and sucked the flesh at the point where my cheek met my thigh, and I gasped. He chucked as he continued his trail all the way to the back of my knees. He skimmed his nose over the other thigh on his way back up, and I closed my eyes relishing the feel of his touch.

"Edward," I screamed out, as I felt his tongue reach out and take in a long lick of the tell tale moisture that begged him to take me. He stood up, and kissed the petals of my tattoo as I felt his head being positioned at my enterence. He reached his arm around me taking hold of my breast, as he slid his way into me. We both moaned, and he paused allowing us both a moment to adjust to the sensation. Then his hips began to move in slow, senual strokes. I closed my eyes are relished the feel of him as I became aware of the sound of the rain picking up outside and tapping against the window of his room. There was a flash of lightning followed by a rumbling crash of thunder that echoed in my chest, and then all was forgotten as Edward's pace picked up. He began to drive into me deeper and stronger as I whimpered his name and begged him for more.

"Bella…fuck…so good…so beautiful," he cried out through gritted teeth. He reached his other hand around and started working my clit once again. "Come with me, baby. Scream out my name."

Just then, my body convulsed with my second orgasm as Edward drove into me and froze in his own ripped through him. We both cried out each other's names, and leaned forward stroking and kissing my petals until his breath calmed, and he pulled out and got rid of the condom. He came back and took me in his arms once again. This time, there was no hurry, and he cradled me close and kissed me lovingly as he walked me over and laid me down on his bed. He walked over and pulled back the curtains on his window, and then climbed into bed with me, and pulled me to his chest, so we were both looking out the window and looking out watching the spectacular light display of the storm.

"Thanks for coming home with me, Bella," he said into my hair. "I have dreamt about you here for weeks now, and now that you are here…"

"I know," I answered. "I have woven yourself into my subconscious and my poetry, Edward. It's not just your fantastic physicality either," I said rubbing hand on his thigh. "It's you. Your patience. Your gentleness."

He turned me around so we were face to face.

"Bella, I don't want this to be it for us. I know you are endlessly kind, and so intelligent. I want to get to know all of you."

"Why don't we start with dinner," I suggested. "I was going to make veggie pizzas tonight. Would you like to come over?"

"I would love that," he said. "But not yet."

He rolled on top of me then, and this time things were slower, sweeter, and full of the potential of a future together.

**----------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N: A special thanks to Definately Staying for helping me get over the hump (literally) in this story.**

**I hope you enjoyed!**


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